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Arcas
The Aredian Republic of Arcas ''(Arcasan: The Aredian Folklead of Arcas)'' is a semi-presidential republic within the Arcasan peninsula of Aredia Major and the Galric peninsula of Aredia Minor. It is bordered by Rechsmark and Durera. Etymology The term Arcasan is said to orginate from a member of the Wytor tribe, Archibald. It is said Archibald's dying words were to build a settlement on the plain that had been the site of his last battle. The tribe ascented and named the city Archas. The legend holds that as the older generations died and people from other culutres came in, the name became corrupted into the present name of Arcas. Many historians accept this version of the myth due to a combination of archaeological evidence and a lack of likely other possibilities. Some historians have proposed other possible throeires: *A corruption of border (mearc) and living (lifas) as the area was said to have many tribes that worshipped Eaker and the nearby Hrem River was said to lead to souls to the afterlife. *A corruption of marsh (carr) and house/home (has) as the plains are near several marshes. *Named after the Arl tribe that had active in the area before it had been driven out by the Wytors. History Wytor Era Arcas's founding myth dates the cities foundation at a little over six millennial ago. The Wytor tribe was said to have founded it under the guidance of Archibald, first lord of the city. He appears in many myths as the good ruler of the land beloved by all. He lead his tribe through many battles before finally dying on the fields of what would soon be Arcas. The legend states that on his death bed, he requested that they tribe settle on the plain where he fought his last battle and to bury him beneath a tree on a nearby hill so that he could watch the city grow until “it eclipsed even the stars themselves.” The Wytor founded the city as he instructed and named it Arcas (or Archas as it was originally called) in his honor and the hill was named Hremhill after Archibald's personal symbol that was eventually adapted into the city's coat of arms. The Wytor era, as the it is now called. Was the era where the members of the Wytor tribe controlled most of the city both politically and militarily. Rather then a king, most early rulers were elected by an assembly of Wytors that would meet on the death of the old ruler. Residents who were not members of the tribe were not allowed to participate and often not allowed to attend either. Despite seeming closed off, the city was fairly welcoming to newcomers with many traditions and beliefs adopted from dozens of different faiths from throughout the land that would become Arcas. Arcas proved to be a very unpredictable nation, moving from isolationist to expansionist to economic in the span of a few rulers. For the first thousand years of the nation this pattern continued until Ardic Wytor I (Wytors of this time took on the name Wytor when they ascended to leadership) led a permanent change into an economic hegemony. The Arcas hegemony lasted for nine hundred years despite constant threats to its power from other large nations. The War of Eight Cities (as it was called back then) was a war between Arcas and Ernas (a colony of Arcas that grew into a city) and the six cities of the Darly pact led by Linton. The war lasted several years but ended when the Pry Canal was completed and the Arcas ships that had been stuck in the Talous Lake were free to leave the lake and enter the sea. Whereas the ground battle were largely in their favor the Arcas Navy was able to make enough of a difference to tilt the balance in favor of the Arcas faction. This along with several other wars in the five hundred year period would solidify the dominance of Arcas. The end of the Wytor era saw Arcas grow as a nation with dozens of subject cities. On 2414 of the Wytor Era a group of Wytor nobles met and decided to elect a king to act as hereditary ruler and centralize some power. Thus Alfred Cerdef was proclaimed king and crowned Alfred Cerdef I, beginning the Cerdef era. Cerdef Era Early Years Alfred Cerdef was a skilled administrator who reorganized the administrative system of Arcas to better fit the city that it had become. He gave none Wytors more privileges, even making a few of them nobles. Alfred's son Fanric Cerdef I would continue, and expand his father policies. His methods attracted more and more people to the city. These vital actions set the stage for Arcas's eventual rise to power. Baldwin succeeded his father on 43 CE, he would be the first Cerdef born while the family was in power (he was born on 12 CE). This led to him largely being complacent, willing to live off the work of his father and grandfather. While not a great king, he was not a bad one either, which ironically might have saved the dynasty. Alfred and Fanric both caused a lot of upheaval in society, this was counter to the purpose of the king, which was to bring stability. Baldwin's decision not to reform anymore brought stability to Arcas and calmed those who worried about the future. Baldwin's death in 64 CE allowed his son, Alfred, to take the throne as Alfred Cerdef II. The young Alfred (22 at his accession) brought energy and character to the throne. His predecessors were all in their 30s when they took the throne, Alfred's young age made him a much more active king in handling matters. His youth made him a wild card that few enemies could fully understand. Something that Alfred was quite willing to use to his advantage even as he grew older. His most notable act was defending Darly from Wallburg in 72 CE. He proclaimed that since Darly had sworn allegiance to Arcas, Arcas had sworn allegiance to Darly. Thus an attack on Darly was an attack on Arcas. While it might some obvious to modern readers, at this point in time, pacts were rarely mutual arrangements, often the stronger power used and threw away the weaker one at its leisure. Alfred's rescue of Darly changed all that and rapidly changed the power balance of the region. Arcas forces burned Wallburg as an example and earned the loyalty of not only Darly, but of the rest of its allies. Both of Alfred's sons would become Kings of Arcas. The older one, Osric, became Osric Cerdef I on 96 CE after his father's death. Osric was made king at 21, even younger than his father had been. The young Osric was eager to live up to his father. He began to emulate his father's action, but he unfortunately lacked his father's skill in handling these situations. Eventually he realized that he could not hope to match his father and gave up attempting to emulate him, instead he focused on fixing the messes he had caused. His twenty-seven year reign ultimately left Arcas worse than it had started, something that had weighed heavily on Osric's soul when he died in 123 CE. Osric was childless, therefore his younger brother, Stan, took the throne as Stan Cerdef I. Stan was the last of Alfred's children, born when Alfred was 44. While much younger than his brother, he took the throne as the second oldest King (at the time) with an age of 37. He was the popular choice to succeed his brother because Stan had served as his brother's Durward, effectively the second-in-command of Arcas. Stan's age and experience brought a great deal of authority back to the kingship and he made good use of both. He reached out to the allies that his brother had alienated and reconciled with them. Stan's twenty year reign saw a rapid growth of Arcas's diplomatic power, something that the previous kings had not really taken into account, preferring to focus on internal matters. Stan's reign ended with his death in 143 CE, his son Osric (named after Stan's elder brother) took the throne as Osric Cerdef II. Osric had often accompanied his father on diplomatic endeavours, allowing the boy to view these meetings and their outcomes. From an early age, Osric had wanted to be one of the men sitting at that table, deciding the future, something that his father greatly supported. Osric continued his father's diplomatic strategy and throughout his reign, he solidified relations between Arcas and its various partners. However, this era of peaceful diplomacy was not to last, in 176 CE Osric was murdered. Setting the Stage Eadweard Cerdef I, the son of Osric, was enraged when he found that his father had been murdered. He quickly ordered that the killers be caught and tortured for information. Eventually it was revealed that the culprits were Aelford. Eadweard ordered a massive campaign against the city. Eadweard, as an experienced soldier (he was 42 when taking the throne), led the army. It was not long before the king of Aelford, Halig Berhand, offered his own life in exchange for peace. Eadweard agreed and sentenced he man to be holed, (considered to be the most horrific method of execution in ancient Arcas. The following is a description of the Holing process: "The intended victim was stripped naked and then firmly fastened within the interior space of two narrow rowing boats or hollowed-out tree trunks joined together one on top of the other with the head, hands and feet protruding. The condemned was forced to ingest milk and honey to the point of developing a severe bowel movement and diarrhea, and more honey would be poured on him to attract insects, with special attention devoted to the eyes, ears, mouth, genitals, and anus. In some cases, the executioner would mix milk and honey and pour that mixture all over the victim. He would then be left to float on a stagnant pond or be exposed to the sun. The defenseless individual's feces accumulated within the container, attracting more insects which would eat and breed within his exposed flesh, which—pursuant to interruption of the blood supply by burrowing insects—became increasingly gangrenous. The individual would lie naked, covered from head to toe in milk, honey, and their own feces. The feeding would be repeated each day in some cases to prolong the torture, so that fatal dehydration or starvation did not occur. Death, when it eventually occurred, was probably due to a combination of dehydration, starvation and septic shock. Delirium would typically set in after a few days." While previous kings spent their reigns showing that Arcas was a great nation, Eadweard would show that it was not a power to be trifled with. He took a very hardline stance to nations that did not support Arcas. He refused to compromise on any issue, costing them many deals. However this attitude also extended to allies of Arcas, he unwaveringly supported his allies in any dispute. Eadweard died in 193 CE, to be succeeded by his son, Cole Cerdef I. Cole was a soldier like his father and the chief architect of the Coler Reforms. While not as overreaching or all encompassing as other reforms, they were perhaps the most important of the Arcasan army. While it was a standing force, it lacked central organization and real purpose. Cole began a series of brutal reforms to turn it into an effective force. Before the reforms, Arcas had been an average army, however after it became a feared force. He instilled a real displine into them and a strict hierarchy that would give birth to the first of Arcas's Armslords (military nobility). While these measures were harsh, By Cole's death in 214 CE, the Arcasan Army had become the premier army of the region. While Cole had trained the army, he had never used it in a war. Instead the first test of the Arcasan Army would come under Cole's son, Baldwin Cerdef II. The test came in 232 CE during a dispute between Arcas and Halburg over trade policy. When diplomatic talks finally broke down both armies were sent out to resolve the dispute. The Battle of Bloodham where the Arcasan completely routed the Halburg forces. The rout forced the Halburgers to agree to Arcas dictated terms. The war caused Baldwin to completely reverse previous diplomatic policy. He saw the Arcasan Army as his hammer and began to use them as a threat in diplomacy. The Arcasan Army fought seven wars under Baldwin, after each war their reputation grew along with Baldwin's prestige. Baldwin died on 253 CE at 74 as one of Arcas's most honored kings. Despite being a fearsome ruler, Baldwin's death was perhaps the biggest crisis of his. His three sons and two his brothers all preceded him. The surviving Cerdefs met in Arcas to resolve the issue, after several days of debate, the eldest son of Wystan (Baldwin's eldest younger brother) was elected. Thus Wighard Wystansson Cerdef became Wighard Cerdef I. The meeting also produced the first clear succession lines for the Arcasan throne with the various rules codified. Wighard himself did little of note, other than his death in 265 CE which propelled his grandson to the throne. Gerhard Cerdef I has the distinction of being the youngest king in Arcas history, inheriting it at the age of 1. Gerhard's father Roderick had died scarcely months before in a hunting accident (Roderick had been mauled by a boar). This drove Wighard into a depression that ultimately led to his death in an alcohol related accident (he fell off a cliff while drunk). While under most circumstances his elder family members would have seized the throne, they were prevented from doing so by their own actions. As stated previously, the meeting that placed Wighard on the throne had a number of provisions placed on them included a provision to recognize the rightful heir to the throne under any circumstance. Wighard's reign was fairly short (12 years) meant that many of the claimants to the throne had either sworn the oath or had immediate relatives that had. This made the office of Durward very important. Previously the position was charged with "guarding the door" meaning that it handled foreign relation matters and acted as a representative for the king when needed. The young king needed a guardian and regent, the Durward was the perfect position for both. Many lords attempted to secure the position, but they had not counted on the iron will of Alfred Blake. Blake was the current Durward and old friend of Wighard. He skillfully squashed any attempt to steal his title and personally raised the young king. Gerhard spent most of his childhood being trained to run the city-state. While many of the kings had been trained similarly, a quicker and harsher course was given to Gerhard because he was expected to take the throne as soon as possible. Perhaps because of this upbringing, Gerhard has often been cited as a cold individual who did not hesitate to make the best decisions possible at the time regardless of who it hurt. The Cerdef era saw the unification of Arcas into a single nation under Arcas. Gladwin Cerdef waged a war over the course of rule that would cumulate into the battle of White Oak Forest. The story was fictionalized into the The Great War Tales that followed major people on both sides and it is considered one of the longest stories in the world, covered in ten volumes. Galdwin used the Pry Pact formed after the Eight Cities War to exert control over the Hrema region of Arcas. The war lasted for over a decade until Galdwin's eventual victory and crowning as High King of Arcas. Arcas was a quiet and peaceful kingdom for most of the rest of the Cerdef Era. The Galric invasions that racked the last hundred years of the era ended that. The invasion lead to a great reduction of land and a great deal of infighting among the nobility. The king and nobles tried a variety of methods to stop the conflict including appeasement, which led to brief pauses in the war as the Galrics regrouped and more arrived seeking land. As the city of Arcas was becoming flooded with refugees and food became scarce the nobility decided on one last measure to protect themselves, they ordered the building of a massive wall around the city, signaling to all that the king had given up on anything other than holding the capital Arcas was effectively pushed back to only holding their capital and some surrounding land, everything else was either under Galric control or Arcasan nobility that felt abandoned by the king. These Arcasan petty kings fought both various Galric leaders and themselves. King Alfgar Cerdef II would be the last of his house to sit on the throne. Despite the protection of the wall the military was still often sent out to protect the few farms and nobles that retained loyalty to the king. These veterans would prove to be the undoing of the house of Cerdef. A group of of army officers led by Elic Yndsen deposed the king. Yndsen Era Edric was declared Edric Yndsen I by the officers who had deposed the king. Thus 851 CE became 1 YE. Edric and his officers decided to not seek supports from the nobility (many of whom had lost their lands decades ago) and went directly to the people with their plans. Edric declared himself Krigster (Warlord) on the Arcas Commons and called for the reclamation of their stolen land. The common people of Arcas were quick to follow Edric for his promises of land and pay, both of which were scarce in the crammed and overcrowded city. Edric ordered the energetic audience to demolish the walls of the city promising that the stones would be used for their new homes. This served as a political message to the various Galric and Arcasan petty kings, the new Arcas Krigdom, would not run and hide like the kingdom before it. Many nationalists of the late Yndsen era portrayed the “Reclamation War” as a struggle of Edric and the former Arcasan petty kings against the evil Galric horde led by “Great King” Kaiser. The real history however is much more complex. Many of the Galric petty kings were fairly Arcasized by that point and several of them served Edric. Edric fought many opponents including several Arcasan petty kings with Kaiser being merely the leader of the last alliance against Edric, and Kaiser's alliance included several Arcasan petty kings. Edric's son Edric Yndsen II succeeded his father to the throne and began the first of a series of expansionist wars that led to the rise of the Empire of Arcas. The Empire conquered much of Aredia Major and Aredia Minor. The empire reached its height in 662 YE, even making inroads into Dorjania. However an overextend empire combined with a string of weak Krigsters meant that a decline was inevitable, and a particularly swift one followed. Several groups of nomads began pouring into Arcasan Dorjania looking for land in exchange for military service. The Arcasans agreed, but soon needed to conquer more and more land to meet the amount that they needed, eventually the reached the extension peak. The extension peak is a term used to describe the point where an empire can no longer expand and protect the land that it owns, a term created to describe this specific point. The Arcasans could no longer give the nomads land, nor could they pay them the alternative 5000 Doners for service. The Arcasans attempted to broker a deal with the nomads, who refused and began a revolt. The nomads, armed with Arcasan training began taking land in Dorjania before turning their eyes to Aredia Major. The invasion of the nomads coincided with a series of major revolts in Aredia Major, forcing the empire to pull its army out of much of Western Aredia Major, leaving the other two factions to fight it out. Eventually the various Aredian lords emerged triumphant and soon began marching on the Empire of Arcas. Arcas did not have enough troops to fend off the invasion and were slowly pushed back. The situation deteriorated further as lords in Aredia Minor, comfortable with their largely peaceful lives simply declared independence from Arcas, the over extended empire could do nothing to stop them. By 1068 YE the empire was in dire straits. Arcas was pushed backed to its home territory and was rapidly losing that as well. The current Krigster Fanric Yndsen III had made a few gains, but was a mediocre ruler in a time when only a great one would do, and he was the one most aware of this. Fanric Yndsen III on his deathbed made a decision that probably changed the course of history. Childless Fanric on 15 Lyver 1068 YE declared his best general, Wilem Armis, as the new Krigster, ending over a thousand years of the Yndsen rule. Armis Era Krigster Wilem Armis I was the great ruler that the nation needed, an experienced general, Armis was able to marshal what was left of the Arcas army and won several decisive battle, forcing a peace. By 10 AE, Arcas had fallen hard, but it was able to stand up, strong with its homeland intact. Wilem began a series of reforms to help Arcas recover, his son Fanric Armis I would continue his father's policies. The reforms established a small standing army that would be augmented by levies raised from the serfs of the nobility. Fanric, mindful of the power of lower farming class of small independent farmers (they (or rather their children) made up a majority of the standing army) included several laws to protect their land and positions. Fanric also supported the urban craftsmen and laborers and tentatively supported their desire to form guilds to manage their own business. -Timeskip- Frod Armis III accession to the throne in 1412 AE is commonly considered to be the beginning of the end. Frod's father, Krigster Halig Armis II was a prime factor as well. Halig was a mediocre ruler in most respects, but was a gifted bureaucrat and delegator. Halig surrounded himself with men of skill, ambition, and loyalty. He allowed these men to most of the work for him and he enjoyed a largely peaceful life while acting as the head of the bureaucracy. Halig's downfall was his relation to his children, Halig felt that the best type of father was one who let his children learn lessons by themselves. This heavily clashed with his wife's opinion that children should be protected and cherished to the point of spoiling them. This left the most of their children without any ability to rule and poor decision making abilities. Halig's death in 1412 AE left his children without either parent to guide them and Halig had not prepared Frod for rule. Frod's relationship with his father was strained at the best of times with Halig having open contempt for his only son because of his spoiled attitude. In a sort of revenge against his father Frod fired most of his appointed officials (who were largely commoners) and replaced them with noble friends that he liked regardless of their ability. Frod's “friends” were largely nobles that lacked land and power and were thus forced to live with the Krigster to ease the cost of their lifestyle. The “friends” grew jealous of the wealth of the Krigster and convinced Frod to pass several laws that would allow the noble more power. The first was the “Pension Act of 1415” which stated that nobles who had lacked land for at least three generations land were to be given a pension of 3000 Arms a year for fifteen years. This caused minor discontent among the masses, but Halig reign had lead to a large surplus of money in the treasury for the pensions. Slowly the decadence and pension act depleted the treasury and by 1430 it was empty. The “Pension Act” had runs its course and needed to be renewed, however many of the nobles who gained from the act no longer qualified for it and thus it was expanded to include all nobility which could only be paid for by increasing taxes and cutting benefits. This along with the “Blood Act of 1429” would cement the split between the people and the nobility. The “Blood Act” as it was nicknamed by the masses prevented commoners from attaining senior positions in the government and military. Three years later in 1433 AE this lead to the Commons Massacre on 15 Brover after a commoner protest in Arcas Commons about taxes turned into a massacre after Royal Guards had fired on the crowd. The news of the massacre quickly spread and several provocateurs were able to turn the city into a powder keg that just needed to be ignited. The fire came on 17 Brover when Krigster Frod personally acquitted the Guardsmen that had fired into the ground. The city turned into a battlefield between Royalists and Commoners. By 19 Brover the commoners had taken over the city and most nobles including the Krigster had fled. The commoners declared an end to the Krigdom and the beginning of the Folkead of Arcas. The republicans were quick to begin appointing officials, many of whom had served under Halig or had been minor officials that had been denied advancement in favor of less competent nobles. Many of the officials were not hardliners, but became such after their petition to the Krigster asking for a summit to address wrongs had led to them being labeled traitors and bounties put on their heads. The final piece that turned this rebellion into a revolution was the arrival of the First Royal Regiment on 20 Brover. The First was one of the most decorated units in the Arcasan Army and one of the last to be led by a commoner, Colonel Harwin Smith. Smith and his men decided to join the commoners rather than put it down. That day Smith and acting leader of the city Leofdeg Alder declared 20 Brover as Republic Day. The act threw the entire country into chaos as many units began to defect or fight amongst themselves over loyalty. This gave Republic time to put together a working government and the Regiment to begin training soldiers. Both sides began preparing for a war while trying to marshal their forces and form or restore a working government. The monarchy based itself in Bexley and attempted to establish a government in the city and organize the royalist forces. The republicans similarly set about reestablishing order in the city, choosing leaders, and forming a military. By the time the hostiles began on 10 Lyver the republic had a functioning government under Stolman Alder and the First Regiment had become the First Brigade of the Republic, swollen by soldiers that had deserted to join the the republic and newly trained recruits. The royalists had likewise set up a working capital in Bexley and were able to organize the loyalist regiments under their command. 10 Lyver was the day that the fighting in Ernas was close to reaching an end. The militia and police of the city had sided with the republicans and expelled the royalist 4th regiment from the city. The 4th then began a siege of the city and were close to driving the city over the edge. The republican government of Ernas appealed to Arcas for help. The republicans sent the 1st Brigade to liberate the city. The city became a rallying place for both sides, royalist and republican alike began flocking to the city to fight leading to an almost continuous five day battle outside the city as more and more units appeared before the republicans won. The loss came as a shock to the royalists who had thought the rebellion was largely confined to Arcas and a few military units. The republican government used this victory to declare an end to the Armis Era and the beginning of the Folklead (Republic) Era. Folklead Era The victory at Ernas and the deceleration led to a string of uprisings and suppressions across the country. Must of East Arcas favored the republic and many cities began overthrowing their royalist rulers and many nobles were killed by crowds of angry peasants. The west was more pro-monarchy and many riots were put down by the military. Galria ended up in a three way civil war between republicans, monarchists, and pro-independence factions. Northern Arcas (famed for their century long family blood feuds) had a short period of fighting as many of the Northern Arcasans favored the new republican government. The war would continue for a decade for a number of reasons. While the monarchists lacked as many resources and manpower as the republicans, they retained a large portion of the officer corps. The republicans did have a lot of manpower, but were divided politically meaning that support often shifted for political ends and many officers let personal feelings interfere with their professional responsibility. The stalemate continued until 8 Vyrver, 6 FE (1493 AE) when the 1st Division of the Republic attacked Bexley. General Harwin Smith had a plan to tip the balance and so he led an attack on the city and held it for a few hours. While he and his men were repulsed and suffered heavy casualties, he had achieved both his objectives. His secret attack blindsided the monarchists who did not have time to evacuate allowing him to destroy a great deal of the infrastructure of the city and capture a big prize, Krigster Frod Armis III. Frod's last son had died in a skrimish on the frontlines a few days before and left the succession in crisis, but the monarchists were unaware of his death. Smith acted fast and managed to capture Frod before he could name a successor. Frod was put under a military trial under the pretext that as Krigster (Warlord) was a military title, and thus Frod was a member of the military and should be tried under military law. Smith acted as prosecutor and captured royalist Colonel Oscar Gan served as defense. The judges were General Alfred Hunter (Commander of the Republican military), Captain Gladwin Kinsley of the Republican Navy, and Lieutenant Colonel Kole Pry. On 19 Vyrver all three judges found Frod guilty of treason and order his hanging, later commuted to death by firing squad at the Krigster request. On 21 Vyrver 6 FE the sentence was carried out with the judges and Smith acting as the executioners (under the belief that as they had delivered the verdict, they should bear the guilt of the execution). The trial is considered a controversial topic even today. The trial was obviously stacked against Frod, but met all the legal qualifications of a military trial as the pre-war Army regulated. All three had been senior officers under Armis, Hunter had been a Senior Ealder (in the process of retiring, but it had never gone through), Kinsley had served as First Mate of the ANS Linton and Pry had been a Major in the 8th Royal Regiment. Kole Pry was also noble (although he had renounced the title upon joining the Republic, the Armis government had not recognized such renunciations) and thus fulfilled the regulation that at least one judge had to be a noble (One of Frod's own laws). All three men were also technically still officers, Frod had only issued one blanket deceleration that relieved officers in the republican forces of their ranks, and that only applied to those who participated in the Battle of Ernas. None of the judges had been participants, only Smith, and no law stated that the prosecutor had to be a military officer. Finally, all officers took loyalty oaths to the state, not the Krigster, meaning that their actions were legal under both Armis and Republic law. The day of the execution is a favorite event in Arcasan history because it was an almost theatrical affair. The first oddity was, as mentioned before, the fact that the execution squad was composed entirely of senior officers. Frod had spent of the of his imprisonment in solitude, only requesting books of law and philosophy from his guards. He spent most of the trials in silence and requested to be left alone with a priest of Eaker for the 20th. This led most people to assume that Frod had given up and was going to take his death in a silent or even cowardly fashion. Instead he comes out with his head held high and leading himself to the site of his execution rather than being dragged there by his guards. Frod then used his last words to give a grand speech on the platform. The speech had three basic points: he apologized for being a poor ruler, forgave the republicans for what they are doing, and finally and most surprisingly he abolished the title of Krigster. The title of Krigster is technically a military title and can be abolished at the discretion of the leader of the country. The event was so shocking that the crowd was silenced for several moments before resuming. The execution quickly turned from a joyous and celebrative mood to a solemn and mournful event. This one action completely transformed Frod from a malicious tyrant to a good man that had been led astray by villainous advisers. The executioners allowed Frod to give the order to the firing squad and even shouted out "Honor to Krigster Frod" before shooting him. Author Gerald Mason wrote on the reaction of the crowd, "It seemed like the entire city was at the execution. After execution rather than cheering, men took off their hats and women shed tears. The joyous revenge had turned into a mournful chore." Frod's corpse had been placed on a pyre and burned in an impromptu funeral. The crowd even paid their respects as the body burned in a typical state funeral. The republicans then called the priest of Eaker to take the ashes. The priest placed the remains in the Imperial Room of the Grand Temple of Eaker, making Frod the 120th and last King of Arcas to be placed in the room. Frod's death sent a shock wave through the nation, it splintered the republicans, but they remained a united front. The monarchists were less fortunate. Frod's stunt meant that they lost a lot of their power as many took Frod's speech as a sign that he supported the republicans. The monarchists were still able to mount a fierce resistance and while they had lost the title of Krigster, they retained the title of King. Furthermore without a clear heir, the monarchists split into five factions: * The Elvina factions – supported Frod's eldest sister (second born after Frod). Her husband was a prominent noble and their son Arnwald Armis was consider a wise child. (as the Armis held a higher station, the male took the females name. Though rare, it did happen amongst nobles). * The Rudolph faction – supported Frod's brother (third born). He would normally have ascended to the throne without question, however, Rudolph's son, Beader, had joined the republicans when the war broke out casting doubt on Rudolph, especially at his refusal to disown his son and Rudolph's own political views. * The Blosa faction – the smallest faction, it supported Frod's youngest sister. She was well known to be somewhat unstable and easily manipulated. This gave her a large backing with Frod's old allies * The Aelford Faction – backed Edric Armis of Aelford for the throne. A distant relative, but he was a competent military strategist and an absolutist. * The Linton Faction – backed William Armis of Linton for the throne. He was a more popular figure with the people and supported a constitutional monarchy. The monarchists never really recovered from the blow. Infighting amongst factions grew worse overtime and on occasion even led to actual battles. By 9 FE (1442 AE) the monarchists been pushed out of Bexely and were forced to retreat to their last major city, Kald. Monarchist forces still held a few pockets of land, but these were few and far between. In the intervening three years, all but two of the factions had become defunct. Rudolph had died from sickness in 8 FE and his daughter, Audra, had defected to the republicans. Blosa had been killed in a fire, that she may have set, her only daughter died with her. Linton died at sea after the ship carrying him and his troops to Galria was sunk by the Republican Navy in the Battle of Bloodwater. Even the Elvina faction suffered a heavy loss when Arnwald Armis was killed by a sniper in the Third Battle of Ironham. A republican victory was inevitable and many nobles began to either flee, take their own lives, or sought suicide by battle. The monarchists were losing armies faster than they could keep track as they were encircled and destroyed or surrender en masse to the Republic. Aelford's death on 26 Yndver 9 FE was the one that signified the end of the actual fighting. Aelford was killed by Arcas Rangers in the Battle of Fayoak Forest. His death robbed the royalists of their last real military leader. Both General Gan and General Kald decided that the war was lost and surrendered along with their men a few weeks after Aelford's death. This left the Royalists without any forces outside of the ones they had in Kald and outlasting a siege was impossible. Elvina, however, would not be dissuaded and demanded that they fight to the death. The army compiled, many wishing to die with honor, but as days became weeks and then months, the nobles grew discontent. They surrendered the city on 16 Brover 10 FE (1443 AE) the day after the particularly violent 15 Brover artillery barrage where the republicans bombarded the city nonstop as revenge for the Commons Massacre a decade ago. A peace treaty was signed on 20 Brover in the city of Arcas to celebrate an end to the war and to coincide with Republic Day. Culture Ethnology Arcas is overwhelmingly populated by Arcasans who make up 89% of the total population. Galrics are the second biggest ethnic group with 6.3% of the population. Kosvaki make up a further 1.4% of the population and are the third largest ethnic group. The remaining 3.3% of the population does not identify as either. However it is important to note that in Arcas, where you live is consider more important than where you came from, thus anyone who has fully adopted the Arcasan culture and religion is considered Arcasan, thus skewing the figures slightly. Arcasans are divided into Arcasan and North Arcasan who make up 83.9% and 5.1% of the total population respectively. However both groups identify themselves as Arcasan with North Arcasan being more of a historical title for those living on the islands north of the mainland than a different culture. Galrics, largely concentrated in Galria make a majority of the population of Galria. They share many cultural practices with the Arcasan but have enough difference (including linguistic) to be considered a different ethnicity. Religion Main Article: Afasten The Arcas pantheon is a faith of 10 gods that are universally considered important by the Arcasans. Despite being polytheistic society, most Arcasans only worship one or a few gods actively depending on the person's position and lifestyle. Holidays Arcas has several truly national holidays with many other regional ones. National Holidays *New Year’s Celebration - 28 Yndver - 1 Vyrver - A three day celebration to honor the passing of one year and the beginning of the new one. The year is considered to start on Dondeg, however originally it began on 1 Vyrver. Dondeg was originally conceptualized as an extra day to make the three new months made from the Winter Season even at 28 days. Dondeg was a limbo day put at the beginning or end of a year at the whim of the Krigster, however it eventually became permanently attached to the beginning of the year and then became the first day of the year. Despite the change, 1 Vyrver is still included in the celebration, largely as a rest day where families stay home and relax. Also 1 Vyrver is a popular day to visit temples of Vyrver as it is the first Vydeg of Vyrver and thus an especially holy day for the god. *Foundation Day - 23 Cinver - A day celebrating the founding day of Arcas. An interesting example as their is much debate over the year of founding, but the day is almost universally agreed to be 23 Cinver. The founding is said to have happened seven weeks and three days into the spring season, 1 Vyrver was considered the start of spring, regardless of the actual temperature because the moons fall into a particular alignment on the day, thus signalling the change of the season. The holiday is celebrated throughout the nation as a pan-Arcasan holiday, but particularly popular in the city where a giant parade is held and the entire city becomes a festival for the day. *The Republican Days - A collection of days between 15 Brover and 20 Brover that celebrate the creation of the republic. Remembering the 15 Brover Arcas Commons massacre and the riots of 17 Brover that started the revolution. Honoring the capture of the palace on 18 Brover and seizure of the city on early 19 Ativer. Finally the celebrating the surrender of 16 Brover and the proclamation of a new Era/the official end of the revolution a decade later. The six day holiday is among the most popular in Arcas with many business shutting down to celebrate it. Fairs and festivals are held throughout the nation to honor the week. *Unification Day - A holiday held on 6 Brover that celebrates the unification of Arcas after the 8 Cities War under Arcas by the Pry Pact. The defeated powers were forced to enter into an alliance that would place Arcas in charge of keeping the peace in Hrema (now eastern Arcas) by limiting their military power in relation to Arcas. Not as celebrated as other holidays, but it remains one of the most popular nationalist holidays in Arcas. *The Festival of Spirits - A three day event lasting from 7 Fesver to 9 Fesver that acts as a day to honor the various minor deities and spirits of Arcas myths. They were believed to keep everyday lives in order and were thus given a festival as a thanks for their work and an attempt to keep the mischievous ones happy. Often families will given extra food to their household gods (minor gods that acts as the protector of a family) and many people visit wayside temples with offerings for gods that are often forgotten. Large festivals are held in towns and cities where it is said that the spirits and gods would come and mingle with humans during the festivities, having fun and blessing those who are kind to them. *Mid-Year- A holiday held on 14 Fesver with two meanings. It is both the end of the harvest season and thus a season of rest and the middle of the Arcasan Year. It is an especially sacred holiday for Arcasans. Many gods are honored on this festival including Festa, Vyr, Bron, Eaker, and Lyfter. It is a day to celebrate the hard work of the farmers and thank the gods for their help thus honoring Festa, Vyr, and Lyfter; but it is also a time of mischief, when the year is at the half point it is when the spirits are especially active and it is common for people to dress up as them and have fun doing things they would not normally do. Also a popular holiday for giving gifts to good children. *Labour Day - A day to honor the creation of the first labor organization in Arcas, created on 8 Higver, 8 FE by Arcasan Clockworkers. The holiday honors the labour union movement, specifically the movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. *History Day - The republican government set aside 15 Wyver as a day to celebrate the past of Arcas, especially the former Eras. Based on the (alleged) birthday of the first leader of Arcas, Gladwin Wytor I, the nephew of Archibald. It celebrates the proud history of Arcas and encourages people to have more pride in their history. *Year’s End Festival - A day that celebrates the ending of the year. Typically it is celebrated toward the end of Yndver to also celebrate the end of winter. Large festivals are held that rivals the New Year and Foundation festivals. Unlike other holidays this one does not have a set day and can be held on any day. In many areas with a strong army presences it is usually celebrated on 23 Yndver in conjunction with Army Day. Army day is another popular holiday that celebrates the founding of the Arcas National Army, the oldest continuous army in the world, from its inception during the War of Eight Cities to the modern day. Government and Politics Arcas is a semi-presidential federal republic with a majority of the power resting with the National Folkmoot. Most citizens are subject to three levels of government: national, provincial, and local. National delegates are elected by a proportional vote in the hold with seat allocation based on population. Hold officials are elected by plurality votes. Local governments are often divided into shires, but sizes can range widely depending on population. Cities are often organized into separate administrative blocs within shires. Nationals elections are held every five years with both the Stolman and National Moters up for election. Legislative power is divided between the Folkmoot (considered the lower house) and Holdmoot (considered the upper house). The National Folkmoot is led by the First Moter and a cabinet of appointed officials. The Folkmoot cabinet is appointed by the First Moter and each candidate is approved by a majority vote of the Folkmoot. The Holdmoot is charged with cooperating with the Folkmoot on matters such as budgets while also accorded some special powers: *Approval of changes in borders between Holds; *Approval of a decree of the Stolman on the introduction of martial law or a state of emergency; *Deciding on the possibility of using the Armed Forces of Arcas outside the territory of Arcas; *Supervision of elections of the Stolman of Arcas; *Impeachment of the Stolman of Arcas. The Stolman is elected by direct vote two round system. The first round is open to all candidates (though most are chosen in primaries beforehand). The two candidates that received the most votes go on to the next round, often becoming coalition candidates with support from parties that failed to make to the second round. The Stolman can freely appoint his own cabinet of officers, however a majority vote by the Holdmoot can veto the selection. Political Divisions Arcas is divided into 24 holds united by the Stolman and Arcasan National Folkmoot. Originally the republic followed the krigdom model closely with most power being devolved save for offices of the utmost importance, namely the offices of Durward (Foreign Affairs), Steward (Treasury) and Eoward (Military). Others such as Intelligence and the Trackers ended up under the Stolman as well. The Folkmoot were divided by direction. North Arcasans elected and were administered by the North Folkmoot. Arcas proper was divided into East and West and administered by two separate Folkmoot. Galria was administered by the South Folkmoot. Each Folkmoot could decide its own internal laws, however these could be vetoed by the Stolman which would need three of the four of the Folkmoots to overturn it. In 125 FE (1558 AE) the East and West Folkmoots united into a single body called the Central Folkmoot. Two years later, the North Folkmoot voted to unite with the Central Folkmoot and it was renamed the Arcasan Folkmoot. In 133 FE (1566 AE) The South Folkmoot elected to join the Arcasan Folkmoot, creating the current National Folkmoot. The Holdmoot was originally charged with supervising the Stolman and regulating the various regional Folkmoots. As the Folkmoots combined their role became less clear, but managed to retain a reputation as a more stable and personal element in the government because of their smaller size and less regimented atmosphere. The holds have their own Hold Folkmoot with limited power. The holds are able to pass laws “within the power expressly granted to them by the National Folkmoot with any powers not expressly reserved to the holds falling under the discretion of the National Folkmoot.” Parties and Elections The Republic of Arcas has operated under a multi-party system for much of its history. Most hold offices have primaries before general election to decide party candidates. National candidates are put on a list by the party, voters may either cast a vote for the party at large or for a specific candidate. A candidate vote will be counted as a vote for the party at large, but if a candidate reaches a certain percentage of the votes they are automatically guaranteed a seat. The Holdmoot is unique in that its candidates run as individuals rather than as party members with each resident being given one vote for every seat contested. Due to the more personal nature of the elections, candidates often run in a more personal manner over the collective style of the Folkmoot elections. The republic currently maintains six parties in the Folkmoot, however only three maintain more than one hundred seats. The largest party in the Folkmoot is the Social Justice Party (Folk Riht Group) which makes up the governmental coalition along with their long time allies the Conservative Party (Aldmen Group) and the environmental Nature Party (Cynd Group). The official opposition is made up of two parties, the largest of which is the Arcasan Liberal Party (Free Group). The junior partner is the Arcasan Nationalist Party (Arcas Eard Group), a growing far-right party based around anti-immigration and nationalism. Though they are allied together in opposition, the Free Group prefers to remain unassociated with the AEG. The last group is a small, but growing party called the Order Party (Hatan Group) which seeks to stabilize Arcas by centralizing power into the national government and protecting lower classes. The Hatans and AEGs are considered Pariah parties by the more mainstream parties due to their radical beliefs and thus no party actively seeks to ally with them The Folkmoot has 500 members elected for five year terms. Each hold is awarded representation based on population. The average number of representatives is 20 with lowest being Pry with 8 Moters and the highest being Arcas with 56. The Holdmoot similarly has a coalition of FRG and AG maintaining a small majority in the moot. The Holdmoot has 102 members elected for five year terms, with each hold given a seat for every million residents it has (a minimum of 2 seats is guaranteed). The Stolman is elected every five years as well with no limit to the number of terms he may serve, thus the Stolmaship acts as a symbol of stability and unity in troubled times. Hold governments are largely ruled by Folkmoot with a membership of at least 100 Moters. Most Hold Moters are elected from hold election districts with a first past the post system. However others use a Council (less than 100 members) that usually exercises less power than the a typically hold government and instead seceded power to either the local or the National government. Some use the Earl model which includes the position of Earl to act as Executive Officer for the Folkmoot. Currently 17 Hads have Folkmoot-style governments, 5 have councils, and 2 have an Earl to administer their Holds. Holds Military Main Article: Arcasan Armed Forces Category:Eorda Category:Nations